Police have formally ended their investigation into Bob Vylan’s controversial Glastonbury efficiency, confirming that the chants made onstage didn’t meet the edge for felony prosecution.
Picture: Getty Photographs
Avon and Somerset Police launched the inquiry after frontman Bobby Vylan led the group in chants together with “dying, dying to the IDF” and “free, free Palestine” through the duo’s BBC‑broadcast set on the competition in June. The second sparked widespread debate, with critics accusing the group of selling hate speech and political leaders publicly condemning the published. Following the incident, that they had their US visas revoked and a sequence of concert events cancelled.
In an announcement, the pressure confirmed the case has now been closed.
Police mentioned: “We’ve got concluded, after reviewing all of the proof, that it doesn’t meet the felony threshold outlined by the CPS for any particular person to be prosecuted.
“No additional motion will likely be taken on the idea there’s inadequate evidential for there to be a practical prospect of conviction.”
They consulted with different forces throughout the UK, in addition to hate crime leads on the Nationwide Police Chiefs’ Council, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and “an unbiased barrister”.
A press release continued: “We sought particular consideration across the phrases said, when it comes to the intent behind them, the broader context of how folks heard what was mentioned, case legislation and anything doubtlessly related, together with freedom of speech.
“Constantly the recommendation we’ve acquired has highlighted basic evidential difficulties that can’t be ignored.
“The feedback made on Saturday 28 June drew widespread anger, proving that phrases have real-world penalties.
“We consider it’s proper this matter was comprehensively investigated, each potential felony offence was completely thought-about, and we sought all the recommendation we may to make sure we made an knowledgeable choice.”
The police added: “We’ve got proactively engaged with a variety of teams, notably amongst our Jewish communities, since this incident and offered updates to them all through.”
Bobby lately appeared on The Louis Theroux Podcast and said that he had no regrets over his chant at Glastonbury – which was denounced by co-organiser Emily Eavis as being in contradiction to the competition’s ethos of “hope, unity, peace and love”.
When requested by Theroux whether or not he would do it once more, Bobby replied: “Oh yeah. Like what if I used to be to go on Glastonbury once more tomorrow, sure I might do it once more.
“I’m not regretful of it. I’d do it once more tomorrow, twice on Sundays.”
Bobby – whose actual title is Pascal Robinson-Foster – insisted the next backlash the duo confronted was “minimal in comparison with what folks in Palestine are going by means of”.
